Flyer assembly

ABSTRACT

A flyer assembly is adapted for launching with, transit in, and deployment from an artillery shell having a central void region extending along a ballistic shell axis. The flyer assembly includes a jettisonable shroud and a flyer. The shroud extends along a shroud axis, and is positionable within the central void region with the shroud axis substantially parallel to the shell axis. The flyer is adapted to withstand a launch acceleration force along a flyer axis when in a first state, and to effect aerodynamic flight when in a second state. When in the first state, the flyer is positionable within the shroud with the flyer axis parallel to the shroud axis and the shell axis. The flyer includes a body member disposed about the flyer axis, and a foldable wing assembly mounted to the body member. The wing assembly is configurable in a folded state characterized by a plurality of nested wing segments when the flyer is in the first state. The wing assembly is configurable in an unfolded state characterized by a substantially uninterrupted aerodynamic surface when the flyer is in the second state. The flyer assembly is adapted to be launched from a ballistic delivery system such as an artillery cannon, and can thus reach a target quickly, without expending system energy stored within the flyer. During launch, the flyer is coupled to the shroud so as to maintain a portion of the flyer in tension during an acceleration of the flyer along the flyer axis resulting from the launch. The flyer assembly is adapted to withstand the high g-load and high temperature environments of a cannon launch, and can tolerate a set-back g load of about 16,000 g.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

[0002] Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates generally to flyer assemblies, andmore particularly to flyer assemblies adapted to be launched fromartillery cannons for surveillance and other time-critical missions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Reconnaissance and surveillance missions are used in military aswell as civilian operations in order to identify and evaluate potentialtargets, and to provide target information as needed. For example, in amilitary operation, surveillance missions can provide timely informationabout moving military targets in air, land or sea, or can provide battledamage assessment, following a sortie. They can also identifynon-targets such as refugees.

[0005] For time-critical moving targets, it is necessary that tacticalobservational tools be able to provide identification and/or imaging ofthe targets within the fastest response time possible. Prior artunmanned air vehicles (UAVS) suffer, however, from a slow response timeand in many cases are not able to reach areas of interest as fast asrequired by the mission.

[0006] It is time consuming and difficult to launch, operate andtransport prior art UAVs. Special troops and facilities are needed tolaunch, transport, and in some situations recover prior art UAVs.Generally, a specialized platoon is required in order to launch priorart UAVs. Most prior art UAVs are launched like traditional aircraftfrom the ground, either with runways or with variants such as rails,sling-shots or similar devices. This requires flat land in a safeterrain, as well as significant set-up and support time. The UAV mustalso be fueled, which takes up additional time. There is considerablerisk involved in transporting observational tools such as UAVs tolocations that will provide the most valuable observational information,because of the probability that the tool will be detected, interceptedand/or destroyed by hostile forces.

[0007] Prior art UAVs require special storage, shipping, and handling,since prior art UAVs are stored as aircraft, requiring maintenance afteruse. Often a vehicle, such as a HUMVEE, is required for launch, flightsupport, or both. Finally, prior art UAVs are expensive to build andmaintain, which constrains their numbers. Cost is not limited to thehardware of the UAVs, but additional cost is involved in training andmaintaining the support troops.

[0008] Prior art UAVs use their own fuel or some other type of ownsystem energy to fly to the area of interest. Using system energy fortravel reduces the energy available for endurance or functionality whenthe UAV is in an overhead position with respect to the target. The sizesand locations of the areas to which UAVs can be sent are limited by sucha reduction in available energy.

[0009] Ballistically launching the UAV to the desired location wouldavoid the problems described above. Ballistic launching would greatlyimprove response time. Ballistic launching would also obviate the needto expend system energy of the UAV until the UAV is near the target,thereby maximizing the energy available to the UAV for endurance orfunctionality. Greater flexibility would be available for the sizes andlocations of the areas to which the UAVs can be sent. Existing tacticalUAVs are not, however, constructed to survive the high g-forces thatdevelop during a ballistic launch.

[0010] It is an object of this invention to overcome the above describeddisadvantages of prior art flyers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention features a flyer assembly adapted forlaunching with, transit in, and deployment from an artillery shellhaving a central void region extending along a ballistic shell axis. Theflyer assembly includes a jettisonable shroud, and a flyer. The shroudextends along a shroud axis, and is positionable within the central voidregion of the artillery shell, with the shroud axis substantiallyparallel to the shell axis. The flyer is adapted, when in a first state,to withstand a launch acceleration force along a flyer axis. In thefirst state, the flyer is positionable within the shroud with the flyeraxis parallel to the shroud axis and the shell axis. The flyer isadapted, when in a second state, to effect aerodynamic flight. The flyermay be an unmanned air vehicle.

[0012] The flyer includes a body member disposed about the flyer axis,and a foldable wing assembly mounted to the body member. The wingassembly is configurable in a folded state characterized by a pluralityof nested wing segments when the flyer is in the first state. The wingassembly is configurable in an unfolded state characterized by asubstantially uninterrupted aerodynamic surface when the flyer is in thesecond state. When the wing assembly is in the folded state, a span-wiseaxis of each wing segment is substantially parallel to the flyer axis.When the wing assembly is in the unfolded state, the span-wise axis ofeach wing segment is substantially transverse to the flyer axis. In oneembodiment, the flyer further includes a foldable tail assembly mountedto the body member.

[0013] The flyer is adapted to be coupled to the shroud so as tomaintain a portion of the flyer in tension during an acceleration of theflyer along the flyer axis resulting from the launch acceleration force.In one embodiment, the shroud includes a support mechanismdisposed at aninterior surface of the shroud. The flyer includes a bulkhead forcoupling to the support mechanism of the shroud. The flyer can be hungby the bulkhead on the support mechanism of the shroud, therebymaintaining a portion of the flyer in tension and preventing buckling.In one embodiment, the support mechanism is a hanger. In one embodiment,the body member of the flyer includes a nose section, a mid-bodysection, and a tail section. Bulkheads are disposed at the junctionsbetween the nose section and the mid-body section, and between themid-body and the tail section. The mid-body section and the tail sectionof the flyer are maintained in tension during an acceleration of theflyer along the axis resulting from the launch.

[0014] The flyer is adapted to survive the high-g and high temperatureenvironments of a cannon launch. In a preferred form, the flyer isadapted to withstand a set-back acceleration of about 16,000 g along theflyer axis. In one embodiment, the flyer is constructed from a compositematerial. Because the flyer is launched by a ballistic delivery system,the flyer is operable to reach a predetermined ballistic range at apredetermined average ground speed without expending system energystored within the flyer. In one embodiment, the predetermined ballisticrange is about 22 km, and the predetermined average ground speed isabout 22 km/min.

[0015] In one embodiment, the body member of the flyer includes acentral void region, and the wing assembly is mounted on an outersurface of the body member exterior to the central void region. Thecentral void region is adapted to store system energy to be dispensedduring an aerodynamic flight of the flyer.

[0016] In one embodiment, the flyer assembly is adapted for expulsionfrom the artillery shell after reaching a predetermined ballistic range.The weight of the shroud adds to a weight of the flyer so as to providean optimal ballistic range for the flyer assembly. In one embodiment,the optimal ballistic range is about 22 km. In one embodiment, the flyerassembly comprises a mechanism for decelerating and de-spinning theflyer assembly subsequent to an expulsion of the flyer assembly from theshell. In one embodiment, the deceleration mechanism includes aparachute. The deceleration mechanism may include a two-stage parachute.

[0017] The shroud protects the flyer during the gun launch, and duringthe expulsion from the shell. The shroud also protects the flyer duringspinning of the flyer assembly after the expulsion. In one embodiment,during an acceleration of the flyer along the flyer axis resulting fromthe launch, an outermost one of the plurality of wing segments is placedunder compression, and all but the outermost one of the plurality ofwing segments is placed under tension. An inner surface of the shroudabuts an outermost one of the plurality of wing segments of the foldablewing assembly, and provides a radial restraining force that counters acentrifugal force arising from a spinning of the flyer assembly, therebypreventing a buckling of one or more of the plurality of wing segments.

[0018] The shroud includes a separation mechanism for jettisoning theshroud subsequent to the expulsion of the flyer assembly from the shelland upon a reaching of the expelled flyer assembly of a predeterminedaltitude. In one embodiment, the separation mechanism includes chargesembedded within the shroud. The shroud may be substantially cylindrical.

[0019] The present invention also features a method for deploying aflyer. The method includes positioning the flyer within a jettisonableshroud so that an axis of the flyer is parallel to an axis of theshroud. The method includes positioning the shroud within a central voidregion in an artillery shell so that the shroud axis is parallel to aballistic shell axis. The method includes launching the shell from aballistic delivery assembly. The method includes expelling the shroudand the flyer from the shell. The method further includes deploying theflyer so as to configure in an unfolded state a foldable wing assemblymounted to a body member of the flyer. The step of deploying the flyermay include the step of configuring in an unfolded state a foldable tailassembly mounted to a body member of the flyer.

[0020] The method further includes the steps of decelerating andde-spinning the shroud and the flyer after expelling the shroud and theenclosed flyer from the shell. The steps of decelerating and de-spinningthe shroud and the flyer may include the step of deploying a parachute.The method may include the step of separating the shroud from the flyerafter expelling the shroud and the flyer from the shell.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021]FIG. 1(a) illustrates a flyer assembly, including a shroud and aflyer enclosed within the shroud.

[0022]FIG. 1(b) illustrates an artillery shell into which a flyerassembly according to the present invention can be loaded for launchingby a ballistic launch assembly.

[0023]FIG. 2 illustrates a bulkhead disposed on the body member of theflyer for coupling the flyer to the shroud.

[0024]FIG. 3(a) illustrates one embodiment of a foldable wing assemblyfor a flyer constructed according to the present invention.

[0025]FIG. 3(b) illustrates a wing assembly configured in a folded statecharacterized by a plurality of nested wing segments.

[0026]FIG. 4 illustrates a fully deployed flyer, in which the wingassembly is configured in an unfolded state.

[0027]FIG. 5 illustrates a nose section, and a portion of the mid-bodysection of the flyer.

[0028]FIG. 6 illustrates an integrated imager for a flyer of the presentinvention.

[0029]FIG. 7 illustrates a mid-body section, and part of the tailsectionof the flyer.

[0030] FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) illustrates a tail section of the flyer,which can be configured in a folded state and in an unfolded, deployedstate.

[0031] FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) illustrate a multi-stage transformation froma flyer packaged within the shroud into a fully deployed flyer capableof sustaining aerodynamic flight.

[0032]FIG. 10 illustrates a progressive deployment of the wing assemblyof the flyer.

[0033]FIG. 11 illustrates possible deployments of the flyer assemblyfrom diverse platforms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034]FIG. 1(a) illustrates one embodiment of a flyer assembly 10constructed according to the present invention. In overview, the flyerassembly 10 includes a jettisonable shroud 12 and a flyer 14. The flyer14 is designed to withstand an acceleration force along a flyer axis 18when in a first, undeployed state, and to effect aerodynamic flight whenin a second, deployed state. The flyer 14 includes a body member 16disposed about the flyer axis 18, and a foldable wing assembly 20mounted to the body member 16. When the flyer 14 is in the first state,the wing assembly 20 is in a folded state. When the wing assembly 20 isin the folded state, the flyer 14 can be positioned within the shroud 12with the flyer axis 18 parallel to a shroud axis 19, as shown in FIG.1(a). In one embodiment, the flyer 14 is a Wide Area SurveillanceProjectile (WASP), namely a small UAV used for reconnaissance,surveillance, or other sensing missions.

[0035] The flyer assembly 10 can be loaded as a cargo in a standard 155artillery shell 22, such as the Army M-483 cargo round shown in FIG.1(b). The flyer assembly is adapted for launching with, transit in, anddeployment from the artillery shell 22, which has a central void regionextending along a ballistic shell axis 100. The flyer assembly 10 may bestowed in the cargo bay of the M-483, and can be loaded in artillerycannons just like a normal round of cargo. The jettisonable shroud 12extends along the shroud axis 19, and is positionable within the centralvoid region with the shroud axis 19 substantially parallel to the shellaxis 100. The flyer assembly 10 can be launched from ballistic launchsystems such as artillery cannons, and can thus reach an area ofinterest very quickly without using its own stored fuel. The flyerassembly 10 can be launched by unspecialized 155-mm artillery troops.After reaching a predetermined ballistic range, the flyer assembly 10 isexpelled from the artillery shell 22. The shroud 12 is then jettisoned,and the flyer 14 unfolds from the shroud 12 into a fully deployed UAVthat can carry out reconnaissance or similar sensing missions. The flyer14 is designed with a stress mitigation approach and a g-hardeningstrategy that enable the flyer 14 to withstand severe gun-launch,expulsion, and deployment environments.

[0036] The shroud 12 is a rugged, multifunctional canister. In oneembodiment, the shroud 12 has a substantially cylindrical shape, so asto be positionable within a central void region of the artillery shell22. The shroud 12 must be heavy, if used in an application where theflyer 14 is launched from a gun. The shroud 12 is designed to protectthe flyer 14 during gun launch from the harsh gun environments thatincludes high temperatures and high g-loads. The shroud 12 also protectsthe flyer 14 during expulsion from the artillery shell 22. The shroud 12is preferably made of high-strength steel, in order to avoid bucklingduring set-back acceleration, and to endure high temperatures. In oneembodiment, the shroud 12 is preferably made of steel having a hardnessof about 4140 H, and capable of enduring a temperature of 500° F.

[0037] The present invention implements a g-hardening strategy for theflyer 14, by hanging the flyer 14 inside the shroud 12 so as to maintainmost of the flyer 14 in tension during set-back acceleration. For thispurpose, a support mechanism 24 is disposed at an interior surface ofthe shroud 12. In one embodiment, the support mechanism 24 is a hanger,such as a supporting ring or shelf. The body member 16 of the flyer 14includes a load-bearing bulkhead 26, such as an attachment ring. In oneembodiment, the bulkhead 26 isdisposed near the center of gravity of theflyer 14. A substantial portion of the flyer 14 of the present inventionis maintained in tension, by hanging the flyer 14 by its bulkhead 26 onthe support mechanism 24 of the shroud 12. The structures of the flyer14 located aft of the bulkhead 26 are thereby maintained in tension.Because the flyer 14 is hung within the shroud 12, there are gaps 25between the outer end surfaces of the flyer 14 and the inner endsurfaces of the shroud 12, as shown in FIG. 1(a). During set-backacceleration the front end of the flyer assembly 10, as well as theouter wall of the shroud 12, are in compression, while the flyer 14 isin tension aft of its center of gravity. In this way, the flyer 14 isprotected from buckling under the compression created by the set-backacceleration.

[0038] The flyer 14 is preferably constructed from light weightcomposite materials, which are well adapted to withstand tension, butnot necessarily well adapted to withstand compression. Compositematerials have a high strength-to-weight ratio, which helps maintain thetensile strength of the flyer 14. The carbon fibers within the compositematerials are oriented so that structures of the flyer 14 in the loadpath are made strong in the loaded direction. Many carbon-basedcomposites known in the art may be used, including but not limited tounidirectional, woven-conformable and chopped mixture approaches. For agiven propulsion system, the lighter the flyer 14, the easier it is forthe flyer 14 to fly, since less propulsive power is needed in order forthe flyer 14 to remain airborne. The use of light weight compositematerials advantageously reduces the weight of the flyer 14. In theillustrated embodiment, the maximum flyer weight is 8.6 lbs. Also,reducing the weight of the flyer 14 reduces the g-load on the flyer 14,since each pound of weight of the flyer 14 bears a pound force equal innumerical value to the g-load on the flyer 14. In one form, the flyer 14is designed to endure a temperature of 300° F.

[0039]FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a bulkhead 26 that provides aload path into the shroud 12. The shroud 12 provides an ultimate loadpath for the acceleration force, by coupling to the flyer 14 through thebulkhead 26. With this configuration, the shroud 12 mitigates the g-loadon the flyer 14 during the launch. The shroud 12 thus functions as asabot to support the flyer 14 in the high-g environment created during agun launch. In the illustrated embodiment, the weight during peakacceleration of the aft sections of the flyer 14 is about 65,000 lb. Asshown in FIG. 2, the flyer assembly 10 is adapted to survive a g-load ofup to about 16,000 g. The flyer assembly 10 is unique among existingflyers and UAVs in its capability to survive such a high g-load.

[0040] The shroud 12 also serves as a convenient container fortransporting and handling the flyer 14. One advantage of the flyerassembly 10 over prior art UAVs is ease of handling and transportation.Prior art UAVs are inherently unwieldy and cumbersome to transport, andrequire that the wings first be removed, and subsequently reattached atthe launch site. In contrast, the flyer 14 of the present invention canbe easily stowed inside and packaged within the shroud 12 fortransportation and handling.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the body member 16 includes a centralvoid region 28 within the body member 16. The wing assembly 20 ismounted exclusively on the outer surface of the body member 16, exteriorto the central void region 28. This configuration permits use of thespace within the body member 16, in contrast to prior art flyers inwhich the wing assembly 20 when in the folded state uses up allavailable space in the body member 16 of the flyer 14, severely reducingany storage space within the body member 16. In one embodiment, the voidregion 28 may be used for storage of system energy, i.e. fuel orbattery, that is dispensed during an aerodynamic flight of the flyer 14.

[0042]FIG. 3(a) illustrates one embodiment of a foldable wing assembly20 for the flyer 14. The wing assembly 20 is designed to be part of thestress mitigation strategy for the flyer assembly 10. The wing assembly20 includes at least two wing segments 32. The illustrated embodimentincludes three wing segments. Each wing segment 32 has a span-wise axis34. The wing segments 32 are disposed mutually adjacent and end to end.

[0043] In the illustrated embodiment, a pivot assembly 36 is attached toeach pair of adjacent wing segments 32 and at an end of each adjacentwing segment along the span-wise axis 34. The pivot assemblies 36 mayinclude hinges 38 provided at the junction between each pair of wingsegments 32. The hinges 38 may include torsion springs 42 which providea torque that causes an angular rotation of each pair of adjacent wingsegments 32 with respect to one another about an articulation axis 33,so that the wing assembly 20 converts from a folded configuration to anunfolded or deployed configuration. Torsion springs 42 may act incombination with gravity to effect wing deployment.

[0044]FIG. 3(b) illustrates a wing assembly 20 configured in a foldedstate characterized by a plurality of nested wing segments 32. The wingsegments 32 are designed to withstand a stress along the flyer axis ofthe flyer 14. When the wing assembly 20 is in a folded state and theflyer 14 is enclosed within the shroud 12, the planar surfaces of thewing segments 32 are substantially parallel to the flyer axis 18 of theflyer 14. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3(b), the wing segments32 are folded so that the middle wing segment 32(b) abuts an innersurface of the shroud 12, thereby becoming the outermost wing segment.During setback acceleration, the outermost one 32(b) of the wingsegments are under compression, while the other wing segments 32(a) and32(c) are under tension. Any buckling of one or more of the wingsegments 32 is supported by the shroud 12, which provides a radialrestraining force against the wing segments 32 so as to counter thecentrifugal force arising from a spinning of the flyer assembly 10 afterexpulsion from the artillery shell 22.

[0045]FIG. 4 illustrates a fully deployed flyer 14 in which the wingassembly 20 is configured in an unfolded state characterized by asubstantially uninterrupted aerodynamic surface. The fully deployedflyer 14 is capable of sustaining aerodynamic flight. The flyer 14 ofthe present invention uses the energy of an existing external deliverysystem in order to reach an area of interest very quickly withoutexpending its own fuel. The flyer 14 of the present invention thusprovides an important tactical advantage over prior art UAVs, bymaximizing the energy available over the target, and thereby improvingendurance and functionality. In one embodiment, flyer endurance is atminimum 30 minutes of continuous flight after full deployment of theflyer 14. Prior art UAVs that are launched in a traditional way mustexpend their own stored energy, whether in the form of gasoline orbattery, in order to reach the target. Prior art UAVs must thus give upa substantial portion of their stored energy before reaching the target,and therefore cannot maximize use of the energy available over thetarget. In contrast, the flyer 14 according to the present inventionuses its stored energy only after reaching the target area of interestand while carrying out its surveillance or other mission. The flyer 14thereby significantly increases flight endurance, and reduces time offlight to the target.

[0046] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the body member 16 ofthe flyer 14 comprises a nose section 44, a mid-body section 46, and atail section 48. In this embodiment, the forward bulkhead 26 is disposedat a junction between the nose section 44 and the mid-body section 46.In one embodiment, the body member 16 has a length of about 19.5 inches,and has a diameter of about 4.6 inches at the nose section 44.

[0047]FIG. 5 presents a more detailed illustration of the nose section44 and part of the mid-body section 46 of one embodiment of a flyer 14constructed according to the present invention. An electric propulsionsystem, including a folding propeller 52 and a brushless DC motor 54,are located at the forward portion of the nose section 44. The electricpropulsion system is preferably constructed to be highly reliable and tosurvive g-loads, so that the system can start up while the flyer is inmotion, and while the flyer 14 is at an altitude with low ambienttemperature and reduced oxygen. The cruise speed of the flyer 14 isabout 65 mph. In one embodiment, the propeller 52 rotates at about 5000RPM, during a level flight of the flyer at 60 mph. In one embodiment,the propeller 52 has a diameter of 11 inches, and a pitch of 15 inches.The motor 54 has a maximum power of 0.5 HP.

[0048] An analog and digital Global Positioning System (GPS) 41 isstored in the forward portion of the mid-body section 46 of the flyer,adjacent the bulkhead 26 and above the foldable wing assembly 20. AnInertial Navigation System (INS) 57 and a flight computer 59 are storedadjacent the bulkhead 26 and under the wing assembly 20.

[0049] An integrated imager 62, including imager electronics 63 andimager optics 64, is located behind the motor 54. The imager optics 64preferably includes four imaging sensors, of which three sensors 68 areelectro/optic (E/O), and one sensor is infrared (IR). The three E/Oimaging sensor heads 68 are positioned side by side in front of theimager electronics 63, while the fourth IR imaging sensor head islocated near the battery. The imager electronics 63 include an imageprocessor and an image transmitter. The imaging distance required foridentification of moving targets is about 4000 ft. The image resolutionrequired for identification of moving targets is about 1 ft.

[0050]FIG. 6 presents a more detailed illustration of one embodiment ofthe integrated imager 62, including imaging electronics 63 and the threeimaging sensor heads 68. The centerline of the imaging head cluster iscoincident with the centerline of the flyer 14. As shown in FIG. 6, thefocal length of each imaging sensor head is 33 mm, and the field ofvision (FOV) of each imaging sensor head 68 is 19 degrees. The imagercharge coupled device (CCD) has 1280×1024 active pixels. Images arecaptured by taking a series of stills. In one embodiment, the snapshotground coverage from the flyer 14 is 1024 ft downrange and 3840 ftcrossrange, for identification of targets, and 2048 ft downrange and7880 ft crossrange, for recognition of targets. The flyer 14 takes onestill photo from directly above the target position, and at least twosnapshots from 30 degrees off vertical. In one embodiment, theidentification range does not exceed 4000 ft.

[0051]FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of the mid-body section 46 andpart of the tail section 48 of a flyer constructed according to thepresent invention. The battery 49 is shown located within the centralvoid region 28 of the mid-body section. The battery 49 is preferably aLithium oxyhalide (Li/SOCl₂) reserve battery, which has a long storagelife due to separate storage of the electrolyte. The battery electrolyteis stored independent of the electrodes for long life, eliminatingfueling requirements for the flyer 14. The electrolyte is forced intothe cells upon high-g projectile firing. The total voltage in thebattery is about 32+/−4 volts. The maximum current is about 1 A, and thestorage loss is about 3% per year. An aft bulkhead is located betweenthe mid-body section 46 and the tail section 48. Tail servos 80 arelocated near the aft bulkhead behind the battery.

[0052] FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) provide a more detailed illustration of oneembodiment of the tail section 48. The tail section includes a pluralityof single fin tails 90, each single fin tail having a tail surface 92.In one embodiment, the plurality of single fin tails 90 form a foldabletail assembly, configurable in a folded state and in an unfolded state.FIG. 8(a) shows the single fin tails 90 configured in a folded state,while FIG. 8(b) shows the tails in an unfolded, fully deployed state.The tail section has a conventional, inverted tail surface arrangement.The tail surfaces 92 can rotate and lock to effect servo drive. All tailsurfaces 92 fold externally.

[0053] While the flyer assembly 10 can be used for any operation thatutilizes a ballistically launched flyer-in-a-shell, a fundamentalapplication for the flyer assembly 10 of the present invention is visualimaging and identification of moving land targets. Moving targetidentification was needed in order to avoid civilian casualties inrecent conflicts such as the conflict in Kosovo. In the air wars inKosovo, where ground forces were avoided and targets were too far inlandfor naval gunfire, the air spotters needed video images of ground targetareas. The flyer assembly 10 may also be used for Battle DamageAssessment (BDA), when it is prudent to use UAVs rather than to putairmen at risk.

[0054] In the operation of one possible application scenario, ahigh-altitude, long-endurance system, such as JSTARS, surveys a largeconflict area. JSTARS locates potential targets, and reports its datathrough the JSTARS Common Ground Station. Typical JSTARS data includepotential target location, speed, and heading. Once an operationaldecision is made that target identification is required prior to furtheraction, a command is issued to an artillery battery to load a flyerassembly 10 (i.e. WASP) to the directed coordinates.

[0055] Upon loading, the shell 22 containing the flyer assembly 10 isfired to the area of interest. In one embodiment, the artillery launchdelivers the shell-and-flyer projectile about 22 km in approximately 1minute. Typically the apogee of the projectile trajectory is about50,000 ft. The heavy shroud 12 provides the necessary mass for anoptimal ballistic range. While the light weight of the flyer 14increases the flight endurance of the flyer 14 for a given propulsionsystem, if the flyer assembly 10 is too light, air resistance slows downthe flyer assembly, decreasing the ballistic range of the projectile. Onthe other hand, if the flyer assembly 10 is too heavy, its weightshortens the ballistic range. By implementing a flyer-in-a-shrouddesign, the weight of the shroud 12 can be added to the light weight ofthe flyer 14, in order to optimize the ballistic range. In oneembodiment, the unloaded shell weighs about 54.9 lb, while the weight ofthe shell 22 loaded with the flyer assembly 10 is about 102.6 lb. In oneembodiment, the muzzle velocity, i.e. the velocity of the flyer assembly10 when just coming out of the gun is 2,624 ft/sec. As mentionedearlier, the setback acceleration is approximately 16,000 g.

[0056] After reaching a desired ballistic range, the flyer assembly 10is expelled from the rear of the M-483 by an expulsion charge in theprojectile nose. The shroud 12 is designed to bear a 60,000 lbf force ofexpulsion charge. After expulsion, a two-stage parachute system is usedto decelerate the flyer 14, and to fully deploy the flyer 14 byconverting the wing assembly 20 from a folded state to an unfoldedstate.

[0057] FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) illustrate a multi-stage metamorphosis from aflyer 14 packaged within the shroud 12 into a fully deployed flyer 14.Step 1 in FIG. 9(a) shows the flyer assembly 10, just after beingexpelled from the artillery shell by expulsion charges. At this point,the spin rate of the flyer assembly 10 is about 270 Hz, and the speed ofthe flyer assembly 10 is about 600 mph. The shroud 12 protects the flyer14 during spinning, preventing the flyer 14 from being torn apart by thehigh-g rebound loads, and by the high spin. In step 2 shown in FIG.9(a), a first stage drogue parachute 91 deploys from the shroud 12, toslow and de-spin the flyer 14. The first stage parachute is a highvelocity parachute or ballute, and is deployed at a speed of about 900ft/sec and a rotation rate of about 250-270 Hz. The first stageparachute 91 may be the first stage of a Ram Air Insertion Device(RAID). The spin rate of the flyer assembly 10 is decreased from about270 Hz to about 10 Hz. The speed of the flyer assembly 10 is reducedfrom about 600 mph to about 80 mph.

[0058] When the flyer assembly 10 reaches a speed of about 80 mph, and aspin rate of about 10 Hz, the shroud 12 is destroyed, as illustrated instep 3 in FIG. 9(b). The shroud 12 is jettisoned by means of smallcharges embedded within the shroud 12. After the shroud 12 is brokenaway, a second stage parachute 100 deploys from the flyer 14. The secondstage parachute 100 further slows the descent of the flyer 14, andfurther de-spins the flyer 14. The second stage parachute 100 is a lowvelocity parachute. The speed of descent of the flyer is reduced fromabout 80 mph to about 40 mph. The spin rate decreases from about 10 Hzto about 0 Hz. The tail fin surfaces 92 of the flyer 14 are thendeployed.

[0059] In the fourth and final step, the wing assembly fully deploys,converting from a folded state characterized by a plurality of nestedwing segments into an unfolded state characterized by a substantiallyuninterrupted aerodynamic surface. FIGS. 10(a) to 10(d) illustrate adeployment sequence for the wing assembly 20 of the present invention.As seen from the illustrated sequence, the wing segments 32 make a 90°arcuate trajectory from FIG. 10(a) to FIG. 10(d), while sequentiallyconverting from the folded state illustrated in FIG. 10(a), to anunfolded state illustrated in FIG. 10(d). When the wing assembly is inthe folded state, the span-wise axis 34 of each wing segment 32 issubstantially parallel to the flyer axis 18 of the flyer 14, whereas inthe unfolded and fully deployed state, the span-wise axis 34 of eachwing segment 32 is substantially transverse to the flyer axis 18.

[0060] Once the wing assembly 20 is in the unfolded state, the electricmotor starts, the flyer 14 stabilizes, and aerodynamic flight of theflyer 14 begins. As described earlier, the flyer 14 can perform at least30 minutes of continuous flight after deployment. The loiter range ofthe flyer 14 is typically about 48 km, since the flyer 14 travels forabout 0.5 hour at a target land speed of about 60 mph. The loiteraltitude is about 4,000 ft. The flight of the flyer 14 is may becontrolled by a mission plan that is prepared in the UAV Ground ControlStation (GCS). The UAV GCS receives down-linked information from theflyer 14, and serves as the up-link node to the flyer 14. Typically, therange from the artillery unit to the GCS is about 40 km. Thecommunication range from the flyer 14 to the GCS can therefore be up to88 km. During the initial stage of the controlled flight, the flyer 14receives the mission plan through a ground communication link. The flyer14 then executes the mission plan flying between designated points. Themission plan may be updated continuously, as JSTARS supplies updates ontarget location, speed, and heading. The E/O imaging sensors 68 sendvideo images to the ground. The video images may be sent directly toJSTARS, to the ground operations centers, or to all of these nodes, asrequired.

[0061] Because of its high-g capability, and because of its capacity totolerate extreme environments, the flyer assembly 10 of the presentinvention can be launched from other launch platforms such as Navalguns. The flyer assembly 10 of the present invention can be thus used inthe Army, Navy, or the Air Forces, for time-critical missions involvingmoving targets. For alternate launch platforms, the flyer assembly 10 ofthe present invention may be substituted, for example, for the munitionin the munitions compartments of projectile/missile hybrids such as theExtended Range Guided Munition (ERGM). FIG. 11 illustrates a notionalapplication of the flyer assembly 10 for deployment from diverse air,land, and undersea platforms.

[0062] The flyer assembly 10 may also be air-dropped or launched fromaircraft weapon pods to extend the vision of, e.g., Forward AirControllers (FACs). FACs are close enough to see, sense and reportground information, but could be in a danger zone, and would thereforebenefit from the WASP capabilities disclosed in the present invention.The FACs could drop the flyer assembly 10 of the present invention andhave it fly to an area of interest, while remaining at a safe distanceor above cloud cover. The flyer assembly 10 may even be used forcivilian purposes, such as disseminating leaflets over selected targetareas.

[0063] By implementing flyers that can survive cannon launches, thepresent invention greatly improves the availability of flyers fortime-critical missions. In a battlefield environment, situations changeextremely quickly so that very fast response with very little planningis an advantage. In order to engage in time-critical missions involvingmoving ground targets, availability of the assets, including cost,planning time, and maintenance of the assets, and the time it takes toreach the target, are important.

[0064] The flyer assembly 10 disclosed in the present inventionsignificantly improves the availability of flyers for time-criticalmissions. As described earlier, the flyer assembly can be packaged in astandard artillery shell which is distributed to guns in the same manneras existing kill rounds in the inventory. As soon as a decision todeploy a WASP is made, the battery can be notified, and a shellcontaining a flyer assembly 10 can be loaded and fired to the area ofinterest. The flyer assembly 10 is thus available when needed, at thepoint of fire. Time need not be wasted for fueling the flyer 14, sincethe flyer 14 constructed according to the present invention useselectric propulsion with a g-activated long-storage life battery, asdescribed earlier. The actual flight of the shell takes only one minutefor 22 km. The mission plan can be downloaded by the UAV controllerwhile the flyer 14 is in flight. No special takeoff or landingfacilities are required. Finally, the target cost for the flyer assembly10 is only $10,000 in lots of 1000. With such low production costs, theflyer assembly 10 of the present invention can be considered expendable,thus avoiding additional costs of recovering and refurbishing UAVs.Expendability is a logistical advantage for UAVs intended to sensechemical or biological agents, since it makes it unnecessary to returnand thus decontaminate the UAVs.

[0065] While the invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to specific preferred embodiments, it should beunderstood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form anddetail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flyer assembly adapted for launching with,transit in, and deployment from an artillery shell having a central voidregion extending along a ballistic shell axis, comprising: A) ajettisonable shroud extending along a shroud axis and positionablewithin said central void region with said shroud axis substantiallyparallel to said shell axis; B) a flyer adapted when in a first state towithstand a launch acceleration force along a flyer axis and adaptedwhen in a second state to effect aerodynamic flight, the flyer in saidfirst state being positionable within said shroud with said flyer axisparallel to said shroud axis and said shell axis, the flyer including:a) a body member disposed about said flyer axis; and b) a foldable wingassembly mounted to the body member, the wing assembly beingconfigurable in a folded state characterized by a plurality of nestedwing segments when the flyer is in said first state; c) the wingassembly being configurable in an unfolded state characterized by asubstantially uninterrupted aerodynamic surface when the flyer is insaid second state;  wherein the flyer is adapted for coupling to theshroud so as to maintain a portion of the flyer in tension during anacceleration of the flyer along the flyer axis resulting from thelaunch.
 2. A flyer assembly according to claim 1, wherein each wingsegment comprises a span-wise axis; and wherein when the wing assemblyis in the folded state said span-wise axis of each wing segment issubstantially parallel to the flyer axis, and wherein when the wingassembly is in the unfolded state said span-wise axis of each wingsegment is substantially transverse to said flyer axis.
 3. A flyerassembly according to claim 1, wherein the shroud comprises a supportmechanism disposed at an interior surface of the shroud, wherein theflyer comprises a bulkhead for coupling to the support mechanism of theshroud, and wherein the flyer is adapted to be hung by the bulkhead onthe support mechanism of the shroud.
 4. A flyer assembly according toclaim 1, wherein the body member comprises a central void region, andfurther wherein the wing assembly is mounted on an outer surface of thebody member exterior to the central void region.
 5. A flyer assemblyaccording to claim 4, wherein the central void region is adapted tostore system energy to be dispensed during an aerodynamic flight of theflyer.
 6. A flyer assembly according to claim 5, wherein the flyer isoperable to reach a predetermined ballistic range at a predeterminedvelocity without expending the system energy stored within the flyer. 7.A flyer assembly according to claim 6, wherein the predeterminedballistic range is about 22 km, and the predetermined average groundspeed is about 22 km/min.
 8. A flyer assembly according to claim 1,wherein the body member comprises a nose section, a mid-body section,and a tail section, and wherein the bulkhead is disposed at a junctionbetween the nose section and the mid-body section, and wherein themid-body section and the tail section of the flyer are maintained intension during an acceleration of the flyer along the axis resultingfrom the launch.
 9. A flyer assembly according to claim 1, wherein theflyer assembly is adapted for expulsion from the artillery shell afterreaching a predetermined ballistic range.
 10. A flyer assembly accordingto claim 9, further comprising a mechanism for decelerating andde-spinning the flyer assembly subsequent to an expulsion of the flyerassembly from the shell.
 11. A flyer assembly according to claim 10,wherein the deceleration mechanism comprises a parachute.
 12. A flyerassembly according to claim 9, wherein the shroud comprises a separationmechanism for jettisoning the shroud subsequent to the expulsion of theflyer assembly from the shell and upon a reaching of the expelled flyerassembly of a predetermined altitude.
 13. A flyer assembly according toclaim 12, wherein the separation mechanism comprises charges embeddedwithin the shroud.
 14. A flyer assembly according to claim 1, whereinthe flyer is an unmanned air vehicle.
 15. A flyer assembly according toclaim 1, wherein the flyer assembly is adapted to be launched from aballistic delivery system.
 16. A flyer assembly according to claim 1,wherein the ballistic delivery system is selected from the groupconsisting of a cannon, an aircraft, a rocket, and a submarine.
 17. Aflyer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shroud is substantiallycylindrical.
 18. A flyer assembly according to claim 1, wherein a weightof the shroud adds to a weight of the flyer so as to provide an optimalballistic range for the flyer assembly.
 19. A flyer assembly accordingto claim 18, wherein the optimal ballistic range is about 22 km.
 20. Aflyer assembly according to claim 1, wherein an outermost one of theplurality of wing segments is placed under compression, and all but theoutermost one of the plurality of wing segments is placed under tension,during an acceleration of the flyer along the flyer axis resulting fromthe launch.
 21. A flyer assembly according to claim 1, wherein an innersurface of the shroud abuts an outermost one of the plurality of wingsegments of the foldable wing assembly, and provides a radialrestraining force that counters a centrifugal force arising from aspinning of the flyer assembly, thereby preventing a buckling of one ormore wing segments.
 22. A flyer assembly according to claim 1, whereinthe flyer is constructed from a composite material.
 23. A flyer assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the flyer is adapted to withstand aset-back acceleration of about 16,000 g along the flyer axis.
 24. Aflyer assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a foldable tailassembly mounted to the body member, the tail assembly beingconfigurable in a folded state and in an unfolded state.
 25. A flyerassembly according to claim 3, wherein the support mechanism comprises ahanger.
 26. A method for deploying a flyer, the method comprising:positioning the flyer within a jettisonable shroud so that an axis ofthe flyer is parallel to an axis of the shroud; positioning thejettisonable shroud within a central void region in an artillery shellso that a shroud axis is parallel to a ballistic shell axis; launchingthe shell from a ballistic delivery assembly; expelling the shroud andthe flyer from the shell; jettisoning the shroud; and deploying theflyer so as to configure in an unfolded state a foldable wing assemblymounted to a body member of the flyer.
 27. A method according to claim26, further comprising the steps of decelerating and de-spinning theshroud and the flyer after expelling the shroud and the flyer from theshell.
 28. A method according to claim 26, wherein the steps ofdecelerating and de-spinning the shroud and the flyer comprise the stepof deploying a parachute.
 29. A method according to claim 26, whereinthe step of deploying the flyer comprises the step of configuring in anunfolded state a foldable tail assembly mounted to a body member of theflyer.